


Run Rabbit Run

by AngelicSentinel



Series: The Darkest Timeline [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Assassination Attempt(s), Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Heavy Angst, Heist, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-08-26 07:10:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16676983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicSentinel/pseuds/AngelicSentinel
Summary: What starts out as a Detective Boys field trip to a museum before a Kid heist ends in terror, pain, and fear.





	Run Rabbit Run

Today was one of the days Shinichi really, really wanted to sleep in, but Agasa-hakase had organized some sort of educational trip with Ran and the Detective Boys without telling him. Shinichi wasn’t sure what it was all about, but Ran had forced him through his morning routine, so here they were, walking through one of Beika’s museums, Shinichi forcing a yawn down.

As they entered the Japanese section of the museum, and past an old piece of art detailing some kind of lagomorph, Shinichi really wasn’t paying attention to what it was, Agasa began to speak. “’Long ago, long ago, there was a Hare that lived in Inaba. His coat was the color of the purest snow, and after the destruction of his boat, he found himself needing to return from Oki island to the shores of Inaba,’” Agasa-hakase was saying as they walked through the exhibit.

“Inaba? Where’s that?” Genta asked.

“That’s Tottori now, isn’t it?” Mitsuhiko said, looking to Shinichi for confirmation. “Isn’t it an old name for it?”

Shinichi nodded. “It is.”

“How’d the boat get destroyed?” Mitsuhiko asked.

“I don’t recall that being in the original myth,” Haibara said. “Does it ever say why he needed to cross back over the sea?”

Agasa tugged at his collar “Well--”

“What’s the next part?” Ayumi asked. “Does he ever make it back across?”

“Well, he does,” Ran said, leaning over on her knees so she was eye level with Ayumi. “He--” she began, and then she let out a little giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Genta asked.

“Well, I just thought about something Shinichi said to me one time.”

Shinichi instantly perked up. “Ran-nee-chan, Ran-nee-chan, what did Shinichi-nii-san say?” He certainly didn’t remember saying anything to her about this legend. It was half-forgotten to begin with.

“Oh, he just called detectives ‘sharks,’” Ran said. “Because they go after mysteries like sharks scenting blood. And I was thinking, you know the Kaitou Kid has sent out another heist note for this museum, and detectives sort of always follow him around. And he dresses in white, like a hare’s winter coat. So maybe he’s like the Hare.”

“But what does that have to do with anything?” Ayumi asked.

“Well, you see, Hare needed a way to cross the sea to get back to Inaba. Thinking himself very clever, he strode out confidently to the beach and started beating his feet on the ground, which made the ground shake and the water churn. Eventually, a shark came to the surface, asking what all the fuss was about. So the Hare offered him a challenge to see who had the bigger clan, the hares or the sharks.”

“What happened next?” Genta asked.

“Well, the shark was a bit arrogant and prideful, and said of course sharks have a bigger clan. The Hare laughed in his face and said he doubted it, not even if they all lined up would the sharks have a bigger clan, which made the shark all the more determined to prove him wrong. So he called his family over, they all lined up just below the surface, and he demanded that the Hare count them to prove they had the most numbers. In fact, the clan was so large, their members stretched from shore to shore.”

“Oh, I get it!” Mitsuhiko said. “Then the Hare used them to cross the sea, right?”

“Mhmm!” Ran said, smiling.

“The Hare crossed happily,” Haibara said, taking over, “bouncing from head to head to head. But on the head of the last shark, the reckless Hare decided to turn around and mock them, calling them all fools. The Hare, quick as he was, was not able to dodge the last shark, and it shredded his coat to pieces and tore his skin.” She shot Shinichi a look, and he didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a near thing.

“Oh no!” Ayumi said. “Was the little Hare okay?” Her eyes were wide, and her lower lip quivered.

“Injured and humiliated and lacking his coat, but he was alive,” Ran said.

“Oh thank goodness,” Ayumi said, clasping her hands together.

“That’s kind of stupid,” Genta said.

“The Hare was clever, but a little too in love with his cleverness,” Haibara said, agreeing, cutting her eyes at him. Haibara liked to be sure she made her point, didn’t she? Shinichi thought.

“And then, as he was curled up in pain, a procession of eighty princes came by, traveling to make a claim for the hand of the Princess of Inaba.  Brought low by his pain, from the ground the Hare tugged at the robes of one of them, begging for a way to end the pain. Annoyed, the man told him to go bathe in the sea, his other brothers nodding sagely. The Hare did, but it only made the pain worse,” Agasa said.

“Duh!” Genta said. “Salt hurts! Even kids know that!”

“Ah, yes, Genta-kun,” Agasa said. “Hurting even worse, the Hare mourned his very existence and despaired of ever healing. But this time, another passing man, traveling alone, heard his cry.”

“Who was it?” Ayumi asked.

“The youngest brother,” Agasa said. “The eighty-first prince. He was left behind to carry all their things, and so he trailed far, far behind them. Again, the Hare told him of his problem, and of the advice given to him by the other princes. This prince was not like his other brothers, who were unified only in their hatred of him. He told the Hare to bathe in the fresh water from the river, and once he was done, to roll in the cattails when he was finished, and it would stick and return his glorious coat to him.”

“That was really nice of him!” Mitsuhiko said.

“But it turned out the Hare was a god, and lord of Inaba,” Agasa said. “And because of his youngest prince’s kindness and integrity, the hand of the Princess would go to him, he who was destined to be a kind, wise ruler, and generous to the people.”

“So why tell us the story, Agasa-hakase?” Shinichi asked. “Weren’t we here to look at some of the other exhibits?”

“I thought you’d never ask, Conan-kun!” Agasa said. “We’re here!”


End file.
